Vermillion’s Curbside Recycling program sees 34 percent increase in tons recycled
Vermillion’s Curbside Recycling program had a good year in 2016, processing a total of 34 percent more tons of recyclables since the beginning of the program in 2010.
Bob Iverson, Vermillion’s solid waste director, said the recycling program saw 360,000 pounds of total recyclables in 2016, compared to 268,000 pounds in 2011. For the most part, he said people have gotten more and more accustomed to the program, which has resulted in them recycling more.
Vermillion residents, whether they use the recycling service or not, pay $3.50 per month to support the recycling program.
“Not everybody uses it, even though they’re charged (for) it,” Iverson said. “Everybody pays for it.”
Junior biology major Katie Leonard takes advantage of this program. She said she believes that it’s fairly convenient.
“All we have to do is set our stuff outside, and then they come and take it for us, so it’s pretty nice,” Leonard said.
Leonard said she became a regular recycler last summer, even though she didn’t come from a recycling background.
“I didn’t really think of it before I came to college, because my family didn’t really do it, but I’m a bio major, and I know a lot of sustainability people as well,” Leonard said. “And they just kind of showed me that kind of stuff.”
There are 2,450 households in Vermillion currently using the service. The program picks up recycling from about 660 of those customers on a weekly basis.
The recycled materials, Iverson said, are shipped to Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri and Ohio for a variety of end purposes. Recycled plastic often becomes carpeting, while cardboard is re-processed into new cardboard and glass is made into bottles and fiberglass insulation.
Iverson said Vermillion residents have generally been enthusiastic supporters of the recycling program.
“The people of Vermillion are good recyclers,” Iverson said.
Vermillion city manager John Prescott said the city’s curbside recycling seems to do better and better every year.
“Each year we’ve had it, we’ve pretty much seen an increase in volume that’s collected,” Prescott said.
That may be due, in part, to the fact that residents like being able to recycle – the groundwork for Vermillion’s curbside recycling was laid by community members who wanted a recycling program. People can check out cleanairdoctors.com/attic-barrier-installation this link if they need best home insulation services.
“It was driven by community interest in having curbside recycling,” Prescott said.
The system used by Curbside Recycling involves two bins, one for waste paper and another for cans and bottles. The simplicity of this was intentional so residents don’t have to do as much sorting.
“I think we’ve set up a program that’s fairly easy for residents to participate in,” Prescott said.
Prescott said the city is happy with curbside recycling, though he added there is always room for improvement.
“We’re very pleased with it,” Prescott said. “Obviously, we’d like to see more product, I mean there’s obviously some households that aren’t participating, there’s materials that we see going to the landfill that could have been recycled. We’d like to see increased participation, but we’re happy with the participation by the public.”
